“There can’t be a question about the MVP race now after watching (Lamar) Jackson, leading the best team, dismantle two of the best teams in football in a week.” – King on Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
“This is what good GMs do NOT do: Go to the starting quarterback after the biggest win the team has had in years and ask to re-do his contract in a team-advantageous way.” – King on Broncos GM George Paton and benching QB Russell Wilson
“I think there’s blame on both sides — the officials and the Lions…the NFL’s now going to have to create a clarification to this rule.” – King on the penalty call against the Lions on two-point conversion attempt
STAMFORD, Conn. – Jan. 1, 2024 – Peter King discusses the Ravens’ 56-19 win over Miami and speaks with Ravens breakout TE Isaiah Likely after Baltimore clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King also discusses the finish in Saturday night’s Detroit-Dallas game, his 10 notable NFL moments of 2023, and more.
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The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:
RAVENS
King on Lamar Jackson’s MVP case: “Watch (Lamar) Jackson’s control of the games. There can’t be a question about the MVP race now after watching Jackson, leading the best team, dismantle two of the best teams in football in a week.”
King on Jackson this season compared to his last playoff appearance: “The Jackson who takes the field in 19 or 20 days seems better equipped, with better weaponry, to take the playoff heat.”
King on the next man up mentality of the Ravens: “What the Ravens do better than almost every team is establish a continuum, so when a franchise tight end like (Mark) Andrews is lost, young replacements are found.”
Ravens TE Isaiah Likely on his quick success: “It’s chemistry with Lamar. The goal is to get him to trust me, and it’s a blessing when it happens.”
LIONS
King on the penalty on the Lions’ two-point conversion attempt: “I think there’s blame on both sides — the officials and the Lions. It’s too easy to demonize (Brad) Allen, although he should have handled the play much better.”
King on the Lions’ trick play: “The Lions should feel angry because Allen seemed to be in a rush to get the play going, not to get the play right. But the Lions seemed to be so intent on fooling the Cowboys…that they confused the official in the process. And, in not challenging Allen’s announcement of who was reporting eligible in the approximately eight seconds before the snap of the ball, the Lions were in effect saying that Allen was correct.”
King on the aftermath of Saturday night’s finish: “The NFL’s now going to have to create a clarification to this rule. Only players who are reporting eligible should be allowed to go to the referee before a snap, and players who report must make the motion on the front of their jerseys. It’s cool to try to pull the equivalent of the hidden-ball trick, but there’s too much that can go wrong with it in a rollicking football stadium, and we saw that Saturday night.”
WEEK 17
Browns QB Joe Flacco on his teammates and coaches making his job easier: “Playing quarterback has so much to do with the play caller, the offensive line, the running backs, the wide receivers all doing their job of getting open.”
King on the Eagles’ costly struggles on defense: “I’m not sure the Eagles are fixable this year. I watched a good chunk of Arizona’s 35-31 win over Philadelphia Sunday, and what amazed me is something pretty simple — the Eagles defense could not get off the field.”
King on the Chiefs’ lack of success in the passing game: “Pretty crazy to think Kansas City’s offense needs to start running through Isiah Pacheco, not Patrick Mahomes, to have a chance in the playoffs.”
King on the Rams escaping with a win over the Giants: “Rams didn’t have nine lives Sunday at the Meadowlands. They had 19. Kudos to them, though. What they’ve built without high picks and with major cap issues is amazing.”
King on Panthers owner David Tepper reportedly tossing a drink onto a fan during Sunday’s game: “I think the NFL cannot allow this David Tepper incident from Jacksonville to be minimized.”
KING’S WEEK 17 AWARDS
Offensive Players of the Week: James Conner, Arizona, Lamar Jackson, Baltimore, CeeDee Lamb, Dallas, & Joe Flacco, Cleveland
King on Jackson: “Perfect passer rating for a passer playing near-perfect football right now. In the 37-point vanquishing of the Dolphins, Jackson completed 86 percent of his throws with five TDs and no picks. Of course, no picks. These days, Jackson just doesn’t throw them.”
King on Flacco: “The fourth starting quarterback for Cleveland this year shredded what once was one of the best defenses in the league with 296 yards and three TD passes in the first half.”
Defensive Players of the Week: Rasul Douglas, Buffalo, Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit, & Josh Allen, Jacksonville
King on Hutchinson: “What a game Hutchinson had in the loss against the stout Dallas offensive front Saturday night. Considering the stage and the fact one sack came on the highly respected Tyron Smith, this had to be the best game of Hutchinson’s two-year career.”
Coach of the Week: Sean McVay, head coach, Los Angeles Rams
King on McVay turning around the Rams season: “L.A., 3-6 in midseason, has gone 6-1 since (the only loss a painful overtime job in a shootout at Baltimore), with McVay re-crafting some of his offense to the skills of his players. What’s great about McVay as a coach is he’s more than willing to play kids, and one could argue that two of his three most important offensive players have been the 164th and 177th picks of the last two drafts—running back Kyren Williams and wide receiver Puka Nacua.”
Special Teams Players of the Week: Gunner Olszewski, New York Giants, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Detroit, & Jalen Reagor, New England
King on Reeve-Maybin’s throw on a fake punt conversion: “Eleven years ago, Reeves-Maybin was a high-school quarterback in Clarksville, Tenn. That training came in handy Saturday night at Dallas. He launched a 31-yard pass, a beauty, down the right sideline to Khalil Dorsey for a first down. Lovely throw, great chance to take.”
Goat of the Week: George Paton, Denver GM
King on the Broncos and Paton’s decision to bench QB Russell Wilson for financial reasons: “This is what good GMs do NOT do: Go to the starting quarterback after the biggest win the team has had in years (over KC in week eight) and ask to re-do his contract in a team-advantageous way.”
Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.
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A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.
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